I was Invisible

As any other kid, I had imagined what it would be like to be invisible. The things you could do, the fun you could have. A couple of years ago I experienced what it was like to be invisible. There I was, standing in a room of people and there was no acknowledgment of my presence. My words just floated over the people and they had no weight. The touch of my hands was not perceived. I wondered, “Am I truly invisible?”

I once heard of a theory that stated, “When light rays are refracted around an object, the object would be perceived to be invisible.” Is this what was happening? Did I walk into some sort of parallel dimension in which light rays were being bent around me? Was I standing in the midst of a room of people and yet they were unaware of my presence?! Amazing! Perhaps, I could be used by the FBI to solve crime cases. Or by the CIA to crack those difficult espionage cases. Maybe I would just have fun at the Super Bowl!

Well, okay, “Enough!”, you say. “You were not invisible were you, Kelly?” You’re right. I was not invisible. I had simply walked into a room of 13-year-olds who were having a birthday party, and like all other 13-year-olds, they were not interested in anything a middle-aged man had to say. The fact that we are not perceived or acknowledged does not make us invisible. So much for my childhood fantasy.

Although, it may seem cool to be invisible, as Christians we don’t have that option. Unfortunately, I think many Christians live our lives of faith underground. Do people around us even know we are believers? Do we just blend into the world at large? Are we culturally assimilated?

We are encouraged in Scripture to not be invisible, but rather,

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light” (Luke 11:33).

We are supposed to be different. And we are different. We have God’s Spirit dwelling within us. We have the light that the world needs to see. And they will not see it if we choose to live in a comfortable invisible world, or under a basket. Remember, things are invisible in the dark too. Our task, our privilege is to be light and salt wherever we go. That means that the light we shed drives away the darkness.

The world is looking pretty dark nowadays. The economy, health concerns, our nation… wars. This is a good time to let people around you know what God is doing in your life.